Inside D.C.

Hatch takes down PETA with nary a word

PETA seems to be trying to re-enter the consumer’s collective consciousness, having been ignored for going on a year or more.  All of sudden the world’s largest and most bizarre animal rights group is releasing “undercover” videos, and taking to social media in hopes of reconnecting with those who are silly enough to give the group money.  There must also be no small amount of group media withdrawal as nary a reporter cares what PETA is up to.

In what has to be one of the best examples of how sometimes it pays to exaggerate the idiocy of an idiotic group, PETA tweeted earlier this week the following: “Present your best argument for eating bacon.”  The challenge was in response to another follower who pondered, “While PETA may be fighting the good fight and trying to protect animals, bacon keeps growing in popularity and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.”

The first response was from “Sir Stephen,” who simply responded “A day without bacon is a day without sunshine.” Yup.

But the all-time best response – and one generated wholly independently by the man’s Senate office (@senorrinhatch) – has to be the response from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R, UT).  Hatch is a long-time friend and champion of agriculture.  He’s chair of the Senate Finance Committee, president pro tempore of the Senate, and the chamber’s most senior Republican Senator. He’s the second-most senior Senator overall, and after 40 years, the longest-serving Republican Senator in U.S. history.

Understand what a Renaissance man Hatch is.  First, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in Washington, DC, who doesn’t believe Sen. Orrin Hatch is just about the biggest class act in town.  As conservative as he is politically on most issues, he was one of Sen. Ted Kennedy’s closest friends.  Unlike so many of his colleagues, Hatch’s life goes well beyond the Senate.  First to his family – married nearly 60 years, Hatch has six children and a whole bunch of grandchildren.  Hatch is a poet and song writer, with several published songs. He’s also had cameos in films and on television.

So, perhaps Hatch’s response to the smug demands of an off-base animal rights group aren’t such a surprise.  His office tweeted a series of photos showing the esteemed lawmaker having what appears to be a bacon cheeseburger for lunch, then shopping for bacon and leaving the Senate carry-out with yet another bacon food delight.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

He was thanked and retweeted by civilians, ag groups, Senate colleagues from major swine producing states, and the media had a field day. I’m guessing this is just how Hatch hoped it go.

Now, if we can just convince the other 434 members of Congress to retweet Sen. Hatch…

From Ben Conard @Iamnotahumanben, the following: “@peta I think the worst argument for eating bacon is still better than the best argument not to eat bacon.”